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Court Briefs

The Lowell Sun

Updated:
04/02/2016 12:07:07 PM EDT

Leonardo Aponte

Bar owner faces drug charges

LOWELL -- A downtown Lowell bar owner is charged with trafficking in cocaine and possession of other drugs after a minor traffic stop by Lowell police on Saturday resulted in police finding cocaine, Adderall pills and a quantity of LSD in his pockets, according to prosecutors.

In Lowell District Court on Monday, 48-year-old Matt J. McCarthy, owner of Dudley's Restaurant and Bar at 19 Merrimack St., Lowell, pleaded not guilty to: trafficking in cocaine 18 grams or more, possession to distribute a Class B drug, possession to distribute a Class E drug, unlicensed operation of a motor-vehicle and a crosswalk violation.

Judge Thomas Brennan set McCarthy's bail at $10,000 cash.

Carlos Rodriguez, right, with attorney Brian Shea

Prosecutor Megan McGovern alleges that while a Lowell police officer was on routine patrol on Saturday, he spotted what he suspected was a hand-to-hand drug transaction.

As the officer followed the vehicle, she said, he noticed that the car nearly struck two pedestrians in the crosswalk on Gorham Street. After stopping the car, the officer discovered McCarthy, the driver, did not have a valid license.

As McCarthy was ordered out of the car, he kept his hands in his pockets, despite being ordered to remove them. A pat frisk revealed 19 packets of cocaine, 50 Adderall pills and a quantity of LSD, McGovern said.

While McGovern asked for $50,000 cash bail, McCarthy's attorney argued for lower bail noting his friend of 20 years has a drug problem and needs treatment.

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McCarthy's next court date was not immediately available.

-- LISA REDMOND

Man faces gun, drug charges

LOWELL -- Note to self: When visiting the front desk of a Chelmsford hotel at 2 a.m. to get more towels, don't drop your gun on the floor and then on the front desk.

That would have been good advice for Carlos Rodriguez, 28, of 134 Willard St., Apt. 2, Lowell, who was arrested by Chelmsford police on charges of: carrying a firearm without a license, and possession of ammunition without a firearms identification card.

Michael McCarthy

When Chelmsford police responded to the Hawthorne Suites Hotel shortly after 2 a.m. on Sunday, they questioned the man, who was in room 233. The man, who identified himself as Luis Vega, denied having a gun.

Police viewed hotel security surveillance, which showed the man drop a handgun on the floor and then slide the weapon between some towels only to drop it onto the front desk, police allege in court documents.

As officers were talking to hotel staff, the man in the video, later identified as Rodriguez, stepped from the elevator. Police stopped him and found he had a loaded .22-caliber semi-automatic handgun in his waistband and a baggie of heroin in his wallet.

A search of his hotel room yielded two bottles under the mattress containing 2 1/2 pills of Xanax and crack cocaine, police allege. Also under the mattress was a small scale with powder residue on it. On a kitchenette countertop was a glass smoking pipe.

Rodrigues was additionally charged with: possession of a Class E drug, possession of a Class A drug, and two counts of Class B drug.

In Lowell District Court on Monday, Rodriguez was ordered held on $10,000 cash bail. His next court date is April 22 for a pretrial conference.

-- LISA REDMOND

Alleged robbery lands man in jail

LOWELL -- Leonardo Aponte spent his 30th birthday Tuesday behind bars rather than celebrating at a bar after a judge ordered him held on bail after he was accused of robbing a man at knifepoint.

In Lowell District Court on Tuesday, Aponte, of Lowell, was ordered held on $1,000 cash bail on an armed robbery charge after being accused of robbing a man of his cash at knifepoint last month.

But Aponte nearly added more time behind bars on a contempt charge after Aponte began swearing at the judge. Aponte later apologized.

Caulo scheduled Aponte's next court date for April 6.

Prosecutor Sam Miller alleges that the evening of Feb. 28 started out fine with Leonardo Aponte bumping into an acquaintance at a convenience store in Lowell. The two men decided to grab a couple of drinks at a nearby bar.

But the evening would take a turn for the worse while the two men were walking in the Centralville section of the city and Aponte pulled a knife on the man demanding his cell phone.

"Do you want to get stabbed?" Aponte allegedly threatened.

As the victim handed over his phone, Aponte was able to see cash inside the victim's satchel.

Aponte allegedly threw the phone onto the cement and grabbed the satchel.

The two men struggled over the satchel with Aponte allegedly making off with $300 in cash.Defense attorney Robert Normandin said Aponte, who admits to having a drug problem, denies the accusations.

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